From the days of the original escort guard, the veterans all wore uniform black outfits.
As they carried out bandit-suppression campaigns, the escorts travelled every village and town in Jinchuan in these clothes, and the outfit became one of the symbols of Xihe Bay.
In Jinchuan, some common folk might not recognise an official yamen runner’s uniform, but there was absolutely no one who did not recognise this set of clothes.
“We are from the Xihe Bay bandit-suppression team. Where did you see the bandits and our people?”
Big Liu asked anxiously, “Were there any girls among our people?”
“I saw several girls, but they weren’t wearing the bandit-suppression team’s clothes!” the hunter replied. “They’re in the poplar woods beside Lianzi Gully, twenty li away!”
Wearing the bandit-suppression team’s clothes, several girls, everything matched what the lady boss had said.
“Sir, it must be Da Niu and the others!” Big Liu shouted excitedly.
“When I came here, I saw they were already surrounded by bandits. Hurry and save them!”
After the hunter finished speaking, he added shyly, “Um… can I go collect the reward money?”
Nowadays, the Zhenyuan Escort Agency has stations at Tieguan Mountain, Hutou Mountain, the ferry crossing, Heifeng Ridge, and other places. If locals spot bandits anywhere within Jinchuan, they can report to any station. Once verified, they receive the corresponding reward.
“You can, but you’ll only get the money after we finish dealing with the bandits.”
Big Liu answered, “First go to the ferry station and register your tooth plaque. When the operation is over, we’ll deliver the reward to you personally.”
“Alright!”
The hunter agreed cheerfully and turned to leave, but one of Jin Feng’s personal guards called him back.
“Wait a moment!”
“Brother, is there anything else?”
The hunter turned and asked.
“Nothing important. I just wanted to ask which village you’re from,” the guard said.
“Well… why do you ask, big brother?”
The hunter, who had answered everything smoothly until now, suddenly looked flustered at this simplest question.
Jin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped back a few paces without showing any reaction.
Actually, he had already felt something was off.
He knew the location of Lianzi Gully; it was on the official road.
The mounted team led by Qing Muluan had set out ahead of him. If the hunter had really come from Lianzi Gully, he would certainly have run into Qing Muluan.
Why had the hunter not stopped Qing Muluan but blocked his own group instead?
Still, the man had emerged from the woods, his clothing and manner were normal, and he had even remembered to ask for the reward, so Jin Feng had dismissed his suspicions.
He thought the hunter might have been terrified by the bandits, avoided the main road, hurried through the forest, and simply missed Qing Muluan.
But the hunter’s current expression put Jin Feng on alert again.
Big Liu was a bit slow-witted normally, yet as a guard he was extremely dutiful.
Seeing Jin Feng retreat, he immediately sensed something wrong, stepped back too, and took position at Jin Feng’s side.
The rest of the personal guard reacted quickly, spreading out and blocking the hunter’s escape routes.
“Speak. Which village are you from?” the guard asked again.
“I… I’m from Zhujiawan, next to Lianzi Gully.”
Seeing no way out, the hunter gave a village name.
“You’re lying! My aunt is from Zhujiawan. I know every hunter in the village, and I’ve never seen you!”
The guard drew his long knife at once. “Tell us who you really are!”
“Qian Tong is right. I’m from Zhujiawan too, and there’s no one like him in our village!”
Many escorts at the ferry station came from nearby villages, and a man from Zhujiawan immediately stepped forward to expose the lie.
“I…”
The hunter had not expected the random village name he gave to belong to someone actually present.
His lie exposed, he did not try to flee. Instead his gaze turned ice-cold. He drew the hatchet from his waist and charged straight at Jin Feng.
Big Liu was already prepared. He flashed in front of Jin Feng.
With a fierce shout, his long knife swung down toward the hunter’s head.
But the hunter was far too fast. He tilted his body slightly, dodged the blade, and rammed his shoulder into Big Liu’s chest.
Big Liu was burly and, thanks to good meals these past months, weighed nearly two hundred jin.
Yet he was sent flying by the impact!
“An expert!”
Jin Feng’s brows furrowed. He quickly retreated to his warhorse.
The little close-combat training he had was enough to deal with local thugs, but against a master like this he had no chance at all.
Back in the village he had sparred with A-Mei and lost miserably every time.
When it was truly life or death, Jin Feng would not flinch, but he was not foolish enough to throw his life away when clearly outmatched.
On the open ground, the personal guards and escorts had already surrounded the hunter.
Seeing Jin Feng fall back, the hunter instantly fixed his attention on the guard called Qian Tong.
He had nearly talked his way out earlier; it was Qian Tong’s extra questions that had exposed him.
An ordinary hatchet seemed alive in the hunter’s hands. Several swift slashes forced the other guards back, then it flashed like lightning toward Qian Tong’s throat.
The hunter was too fast; Qian Tong had no time to dodge.
The hatchet sliced across Qian Tong’s neck, and a cold, bloodthirsty smile appeared on the hunter’s lips.
But the next instant, his smile froze.
He had killed countless prey in his life and no small number of men. He immediately knew something was wrong with the sensation.
The hatchet did not feel as if it had cut flesh; it felt like scraping across sheet iron.
In fact, the hunter was right.
The escorts’ black outfits all had high collars. To prevent throat-slitting, a thin layer of iron was sewn inside the collar.
The hatchet had spent its force and could not be brought back in time, so the hunter followed with a flying kick to Qian Tong’s stomach.
Qian Tong was sent flying, knocking down several escorts behind him.
A gap opened in the encirclement!
The hunter shot through the gap and raced toward Jin Feng.
Big Liu had only just climbed to his feet. Seeing this, he charged madly toward Jin Feng.
But the hunter was too fast, and Jin Feng had retreated too far. Not only Big Liu, none of the guards or escorts could reach them in time.
Just as the hunter was about to close in, Jin Feng suddenly raised his arm.
In his hand was a small hand crossbow.
Swish, swish, swish!
He pulled the trigger. Three short arrows the length of chopsticks shot toward the hunter like lightning.
At such close range, an ordinary person could never dodge, yet the hunter forcibly shifted a step to the left.
All three arrows missed!
There was no time to reload the crossbow.
“Sir!”
Seeing the hunter now less than ten feet from Jin Feng, Big Liu threw his long knife in desperation.
But if even the crossbow had missed, how could a thrown knife hit?
The hunter gave a cold laugh and easily evaded it.
“It’s over!”
Big Liu shut his eyes in anguish.
The man’s skill was no less than A-Mei’s. At this distance, Jin Feng was dead.
Yet at that very moment, Big Liu heard a tremendous bang from ahead!
He opened his eyes and saw a sight that he could not make sense of no matter how hard he thought.
The hunter, who had been charging like a tiger a moment ago, now had a spray of blood burst from his chest. Like a burst sack, he flew backwards.
